Kyoto trip : Kiyomizu-dera & Nijo Castle

On Friday I've been on a school trip to Kyoto with all students and teachers of 'Kobe YMCA', because some of the students will leave school and continue their studies at a Japanese university from April this year. So for some of the students it was something like a graduating trip and for some other and me, it was just a school trip.

Well, since I'm studying in Kobe, which belongs to the Kansai area [just like Osaka, Kyoto & Nara as well.], this year's school trip's destination was the 'Kiyomizu temple' & the 'Nijo-Castle' located in Kyoto.

The Kyo-mizu temple, which I already visited 2 years ago with my boyfriend, was our first stop in Kyoto. We arrived there at about 10 'o clock in the morning and there were already a lot of tourists from other Asian, but also Western countries.


Even the entrance gate of the Kiyomizu temple is a very impressing building in my opinion. 


After entering the first thing you will see, are wish plates - some were also written in Korean, Spanish, Chinese & English.


After washing your hands - meaning the same as washing away bad things - you will enter the main buidling of the temple.

Doesn't it look awesome? Every time I'm going to Kyoto, I'm very impressed about the old shrines, temples, castles and buildings. I also really love what those small roads are looking like. everything there looks so peacefully.
I'm often said, that a lot of foreigners - especially Western people - would like to live in Kyoto. I really love visiting Kyoto and travel around there, but I don't want to live there. This wouldn't be such a great thing for me.

What about you? Would you like to live there? Or just like to visit the traditional places?



After walking through the main building of  the temple, our teacher told me that the God at the place is often visited by couples, who want to marry. Something like a God of love, she said. So there are a lot of people going to this place for marrying. 

The water you can see on the picture above comes directly from a spring, so it's very clean and refreshing. Many people come here for drinking this water and washing their soul, just like they washed away the bad thing before entering the main building.
And just as you can on the picture above, Japanese women - well not only Japanese, love to rent 'kimonos' [Japanese traditional clothes] for going to a temple and taking pictures in Kyoto.

I really love seeing people walking around in Kimonos, but never would wear one, because it's kind of strange and embarrassing as well, as a German girl to walk through Japan wearing a Kimono. At least , this is my point of view. There are also a lot of foreign people, who'd like to wear a Kimono on their trip in Japan.


the next and already last stop in Kyoto on this trip was the Nijo-castle, where we arrived at about  2 'o clock, after having lunch.
The Nijo-castle is a very impressing building. Before entering it looks not that big, but also not that small. But once you entered [btw, your putting off your shoes before entering and wearing some slippers for sightseeing the inner part of the castle.], it is just huge. Your walking, walking, sightseeing a huge number of very big rooms & beautiful wall paintings and there just seems to be no exit in this castle.
I've been to Kyoto several times before, but haven't visited the Nijo-castle until this trip, so it was very interesting and I really enjoyed it.




But since this years' winter was extremely cold in Japan, there still weren't any 'ume' [Japanese plum] or 'sakura' [Cherry] blossoms yet. So the whole trees looked some kind of scary and sad.
But I'm looking forward to visit Kyoto again as soon as 'sakura' is in flower, since I really want to see this at least once in my life. 

Have you ever seen 'sakura' in flower? Are you going to see it this year?

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One Response so far.

  1. .. says:
    April 12, 2012 at 9:36 AM

    It's my DREAM to go to Japan! X_X
    That's actually amazing that you're studying over there. Wish I could T_T

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